International Dog Day: Canines on the Conservation Front Line

Tusk
3 min readAug 26, 2024

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By Rebecca Ward & Victoria Foord, Conservation South Luangwa, Zambia

Credit: Marcus Westberg

Across Africa, dogs are increasingly becoming invaluable partners to wildlife rangers, with a multitude of different breeds supporting anti-poaching efforts. With their keen sense of smell, canine conservation heroes are game changers in tracking human poaching suspects, locating snares, and finding wounded wildlife.

When we consider conservation efforts aimed at combating the illegal wildlife trade, we often think of scientists and researchers studying the drivers and impacts, or wildlife rangers bravely patrolling the frontline to protect biodiversity. However, there is another group of heroes who also play a crucial role in this fight: canines. These animals have demonstrated their invaluable contribution to anti-poaching efforts across Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley.

A decade ago, Conservation South Luangwa (CSL) established Zambia’s first K9 Unit in partnership with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). This specialised team, which currently consists of six dogs and eight handlers, is dedicated to detecting illegal wildlife products and tracking wildlife crime suspects. In recent years, the K9 Unit has proven to be one of CSL’s most efficient and cost-effective assets in the fight against wildlife crime.

Credit: Rachel Rebibo

In 2023 alone, the K9 Unit was responsible for 24% of suspects arrested, 29% of firearms confiscated and 59% of bushmeat seized, yet accounted for just 7% of CSL’s expenditure. CSL’s long-standing partner, Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C) in the USA, provides CSL with working dog breeds such as labradors and shepherds. These dogs are typically rescued from shelters or surrendered by owners unable to cope with their high energy levels; a trait which can make a highly effective working dog.

With their incredible sense of smell, the dogs undergo rigorous training to identify firearms and bushmeat as well as ivory, animal skins, live animals, pangolin scales, ammunition and illegally trafficked timber such as mukula. Thousands of operations have been deployed across Zambia’s Eastern Province, from the Game Management Areas to the east of the South Luangwa National Park, across to Chipata and the Zambia-Malawi-Mozambique border. Through vehicle searches, property searches and targeted operations in conjunction with CSL’s aerial and ground patrol units, the K9 Unit make major seizures and arrests each year.

Credit: Marcus Westberg

Not only do dogs increase efficiency and detect hard-to-find wildlife contraband, but their presence also provides an effective deterrent to traffickers and helps raise awareness in the community about the illegal wildlife trade. The relationship between CSL’s dogs and handlers is one of the most important factors in the K9 Unit’s success. Trust, respect and affection are paramount. During downtime, handlers play ball games with the dogs, provide nutritious food, and often share sleeping quarters with the dogs in their kennels. The dogs are also cared for by CSL’s full-time veterinarian, Dr Sichande. In an area where dogs are at serious risk of trypanosomiasis (a deadly disease spread by tsetse flies), the dogs undergo twice-daily temperature checks and are continually monitored for other symptoms.

The illegal wildlife trade is a major threat to many species in South Luangwa. However, with the help of these extraordinary dogs, CSL and DNPW can intercept trafficked wildlife products before they reach the black market. These dogs are essential allies in the fight against poaching and will continue to play a vital role in the protection of wildlife in Zambia long into the future.

This article has been adapted from Tusk Talk Magazine 2024.

Credit: Marcus Westberg

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Tusk
Tusk

Written by Tusk

Tusk Trust is a British non-profit organisation set up in 1990 to accelerate the impact of African-driven conservation.

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